© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 1 What Is Nutrition?
© 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Why do you eat what you eat?
© 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. What Is Nutrition? The science that studies how nutrients and compounds in foods nourish the body and affect body functions and overall health The study of the relationships between food and health Exploration of how food is: Digested Absorbed Transported Metabolized Used or stored in the body
© 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. What Are Nutrients? Compounds in foods that sustain body processes Provide Energy Provide Structure Help Regulate Body Processes Six classes of nutrients that are found in foods Carbohydrates Fats (lipids) Proteins Vitamins Minerals Water
© 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Functions of Nutrients Figure 1.3
© 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Table 1.1
© 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Discussion Topic: Describe several dietary changes that can improve the American diet.
© 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Suggestions to Improve the American Diet*: Reduce excess Calories Increase intake of fruits – at least 2/day Increase intake of vegetables - at least 3/day Increase grain consumption – at least 6 ounces/day, half whole grains *Healthy People 2010
© 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Diet = What We Eat We eat foods, not nutrients Foods are complex mixtures of nutrients and non-nutrients
© 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. A process used by scientist to gather and test information for the sake of generating sound research findings Steps of the Scientific Method
© 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Types of Research or Evidence: Anecdotal evidence – One person’s experience with a set of circumstances Observational or Epidemiological research – observation of correlated incidents in a population which can suggest an hypothesis for further study. Experimental – involves 2 or more groups of subjects and is designed to test the validity of an hypothesis.
© 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Observational Research:
© 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Figure 1.6 Controlled Scientific Experiments
© 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. What Is Nutritional Genomics? Study of the relationship between genes, gene expression, nutrition, and health Study of whether nutrients directly or indirectly alter gene expression or structure Study of the effects of genetic variations on the interaction between diet and health Potential to provide personalized dietary recommendations based on genetic makeup rather than population based recommendations
© 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Who Is the Nutrition Professional? Registered Dietitian (RD) A health professional who is a food and nutrition expert RDs: -Obtain a college degree in nutrition from an Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics accredited program -Complete an internship or pre-professional experience -Pass an exam to become a Registered Dietitian -Complete required continuing education -Maintain ethical standards of practice
© 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. R.D., L.D., Nutritionist, or Quack? Registered Dietitian is trained in medical nutrition therapy Licensed Dietitian is similar to Registered Dietitian but regulated by the state. Nutritionist is a generic term with no recognized legal or professional meaning in most states. Ask for credentials. Quack Introduces health fears Sells services or products to allay fears Makes unrealistic promises or guarantees What messages should you be leery of?
© 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Evaluating Nutrition Information on the Internet National Institutes of Health (NIH) 10 Questions to consider when viewing a health-related website 1.Who runs the site? 2.Who pays for the site? 3.What is the purpose of the site? 4.Where does the information come from? 5.What is the basis of the information? Continued…
© 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Evaluating Nutrition Information on the Internet 6.How is the information selected? 7.How current is the information? 8.How does the site choose links to other sites? 9.What information does the site collect about you and why? 10.How does the site manage interactions with visitors?